The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 10.16.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 10.16.82

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts, and it’s a pretty loaded show this week.

Buck Robley & Tim Horner v. Ted Allen & Marty Lunde

Bill Watts doesn’t know a lot about young Marty Lunde but he looks like someone in good shape. I’ve heard he’s only got average carpentry skills, though. Horner controls Allen with some slams and dropkicks before taking him down with an armbar. Over to Lunde, as Robley works the arm on him as well and gets two off that. Lunde puts Horner down with a back elbow and Allen comes in with a slam for two. Meanwhile, Watts addresses criticism of the overly fast pacing of his show, noting that all TV matches here have a 10 minute time limit to keep things moving. Robley drops an elbow on Allen for the pin at 3:41. Lunde should explore his family tree, maybe he’s got some relatives in the business who can help him out?

Kamala v. Jesse Barr

Barr tries for a lockup and Kamala throws him to the floor to break, and then beats on Barr with chops back in the ring. And then he slams him down and hits him with a pair of splashes for the pin at 1:17. And Cowboy is READY for him to face JYD.

North American champion Ted Dibiase v. Mississippi champion Mr. Olympia

Dibiase goes for the powerslam and Olympia counters with a bodypress for two, and Dibiase bails to think it over. Back in, Olympia works the arm, but Dibiase catches him with a sleeper and Olympia tosses him to the floor to quickly escape. Back in, Olympia works the arm, but Dibiase runs him into the corner to break. Dibiase does his own bodypress out of the corner, but Olympia rolls through for two and gets the sleeper, as Dibiase desperately falls into the ropes to break. Dibiase takes out the knee and works on the leg to set up the figure-four, but Olympia counters out of that and hits a neckbreaker for two. Olympia with a powerslam of his own, and that gets two. Dibiase finally goes to the tights and loads up the ISOTONER OF DEATH behind the ref’s back, and then knocks out Olympia and puts him in a sleeper to finish at 5:00 and really rub it in. Really good TV with both guys stealing each other’s moves to show off.

The Grappler v. Mr. Wrestling II

Wrestling II works a headlock, but Grappler hits him in the gut, and they trade atomic drops, which leaves Grappler on the apron. Back in, Grappler beats on him with forearms and drops elbows for two. Grappler with a neckbreaker for two. Grappler goes for the mask and Wrestling II gets all fired up over that and fights back, but Grappler hits his own kneelift to take over again. He goes for the armbar takedown, but Wrestling II slams out of it and hits a backdrop suplex before finishing with the kneelift at 5:06. And II chases him out of the ring with another kneelift to win the feud.

Louisiana title: Iron Mike Sharpe v. Hacksaw Duggan

Duggan charges and Iron Mike slams him and goes to an armbar. Sharpe with a dropkick and he continues to work the arm, but he tries a kneelift and Duggan dodges him and drops an elbow for two. Cowboy is pretty sure Duggan didn’t wear a helmet while he played college football, and he’s not mad at it. Sharpe comes back and pounds away with forearms before chopping him down, but he misses a dropkick and Duggan hits him with a slam into the turnbuckles, but misses a kneedrop. Sharpe wants the piledriver, but Duggan runs him into the corner to escape. Sharpe tries again and Duggan flips over him into the corner, and then dodges a charging Sharpe. Duggan with the running headbutt, and Sharpe is OUT, and Duggan gets the pin and the title at 5:00. Duggan’s on a hot run at this point, I’m not mad at this title change.

Vladic Smirnoff v. Vinnie Romeo

I’m not familiar with Smirnoff but he’s Akbar’s newest generic Russian threat. Apparently went on to be another Mid-South Russian heel as Boris Korchenko a few years later. Romeo gets a sunset flip for two after taking some forearms, and a crossbody gets two. Smirnoff with the bearhug to cut that off and finishes with a backbreaker at 2:34. Romeo’s a competent enhancement guy and even he couldn’t make this doofus look impressive.

Grappler #2 v. Bob Stabler

Grappler drops elbows on Stabler and goes up with a flying clothesline to finish at 1:00.

Great show this week and the title win by Duggan was well deserved.

I thought next week was supposed to be the big tag title showdown, but apparently it’s been delayed for a week, so next week both teams have warm-up matches instead. Also this week was supposed to have some kind of match with Chavo Guerrero from Tokyo but the episode is only 36 minutes on the Network so I’m assuming it got cut out.